Elijah McClain was a son, a brother, a healer and a musician. In 2019, police stopped him during a peaceful walk home. He hadn’t done anything wrong, but they violently subdued him. Now, officers and paramedics face criminal charges in his death.

McClain’s story has brought about reforms to the rules for police in Colorado, and it has put law enforcement in Aurora under state oversight, to stop a pattern of racist policing. The incident has taught Colorado how to effectively oversee conduct by law enforcement – and what happens when we don’t.

Colorado In Depth is a podcast of special reporting, documentary news and investigations from CPR News. Follow the podcast for reporting from the Front Range, the Four Corners, the Eastern Plains and the mountains.

Reported by Allison Sherry